Creeping in my Soul
by Paladin's Throne
Summary: "Did you think…you could hide from me…here? Of all places? No…for you see my dear…Here…you are like a beacon…a flame, if you will…for those of the dark…are inevitably drawn to you...And there is no one...darker than I." One-Shot. Sequel to Body and Soul.


_Creeping in my Soul_

* * *

And if you gaze for long into abyss…

The abyss gazes also into you.

But did this also mean that if you lived in the abyss…

You eventually became as dark and cold as the abyss itself?

There was no answer, as always.

Only the faint, droning hum in the background.

The scenery never changed.

A never ending, twisting, winding, curving path of dark stone ground covered by a silvery sheen of a dust like material that was displaced with every step she took, causing small bursts of lite-blue sparks. Sometimes there would be cliffs, some so smooth they were impossible to climb, others just as twisted and curved as the path before her. Once, she had asked herself how long she had walked this path.

Now she never dare ask it again. For the truth was harsh.

Always.

She had thought this would be a lesson she need never learn…

How wrong she was.

Her sapphire eyes narrowed suddenly, her head turning a little ways to look over her shoulder. After ten years in this wasteland, Aqua thought she was done jumping at every little noise.

But every now and again…

Something would make her stop in her never-ending gait to simply look around at this all too familiar place; searching for something out of place.

But there was nothing. Always nothing.

Raising her right hand, Aqua brushed a stray blue lock out of her face, sighing softly. Paranoia was not something to have in a place like this. Being jumpy could get yourself seriously hurt. And the only thing worse than being paranoid in the Realm of Darkness, was being injured…

Because then she would have to stop and take care of the wounds…

And stopping even once in this place…

She lowered her right hand, sapphire eyes closing. A single ethereal pink petal danced between her fingers. She opened her eyes, though now they were narrowed, her beautiful face twisted into an angry frown.

Dozens of yellow eyes were now upon her, their owners form twisted and lanky, long claws for fingers, writing antennas jutting from the tops of their heads. And in the writhing shadows behind these living ones, a single large yellow eye with an iris of blood red locked onto her. Each pair of eyes glowed with an otherworldly…and hungry…light within them.

A hunger that could only be sated by hearts for these Heartless.

And as of this moment, Aqua was the only one with a heart in this entire realm.

Flexing her right hand open, more ethereal petals suddenly swirled around her open palm, before extending out in a brilliant pink flash that heralded the summoning of her weapon. A long black cylindrical blade with a white, square shaped guard. The teeth of the weapon were shaped in the vague style of a capital 'E', and dangling from the bottom of the guard was a chain with a curious heart shaped charm.

Though not truly her own, the Keyblade Master Keeper was the perfect –and only- weapon to use against these monsters that had relentlessly hounded her. She stood her ground, eyes narrowing and slowly moving to look at each of these living shadows, her glare briefly morphing into a look of disgust when she spotted those floating orbs with leering faces, open maws filled to the brim with dark fangs.

Even these encounters had become just as repetitive, though no less dangerous, especially due to her familiarity with the owner of that yellow and red eye lurking just behind the shadows…

Her eyes resumed their forward gaze, having completed their scan of the Heartless. Well over a dozen, not counting the beast with the red eye….

This was going to be rough. She tightened her grip on Master Keeper. But not impossible.

One of Heartless staggered forward, head jerking, claws twitching, lanky form tensing. Aqua recognized this as a sign that it was about to lunge, claws reared back to tear her throat open and then go straight for her-

The Heartless suddenly froze.

Aqua blinked, but stood her ground. These creatures were stupid, but cunning. This could be a trick.

But the Heartless still did not move. In fact…

All of them had frozen.

The lurking shadow with the blazing yellow and red eye's single orb had widened, the snake-thin retina contracting.

Aqua slowly moved her eyes towards each Heartless in her line of vision. Her sapphire orbs widened bit by bit when she saw each Heartless was just as frozen as the one in front of her, their burning yellow eyes wide with a strange light in them…

Something…

Like fear.

But that's impossible, she thought.

These creatures were too basic, too simple, to understand anything other than their hunger for light and their constant search for hearts.

_Then why are they just standing there?_ A little voice in the back of her head asked her.

The Heartless that had been approaching her suddenly began backing up, and all the others around her mirrored its motion, moving away from the confused water maiden. Then to her complete shock, the lanky shadows melted into puddles of darkness that sank entirely into the ground under it. The floating orbs of darkness and teeth twitched and jerked before beginning to shrink in a faint glow of blue and purple, disappearing with a soft hiss.

The only remaining Heartless, the beast hiding in the shadowy veil beyond, continued to gaze upon Aqua for a moment with its yellow and red eye, seeming to study her. Then the eye suddenly rolled before vanishing into the shadows. There was the sound of something large shifting…

And the nothing. Aqua knew she was now alone.

Her grip on her Keyblade did not loosen, however.

Something was wrong…

Her eyes continued to dart from one corner to the next, the sapphire orbs wide.

Something was very wrong.

Heartless never just up and left.

Never.

So why then-

She froze in place, eyes as wide as saucers-

While behind her…

A figure cloaked in darkness extended his hand to her.

_Come to me._

Very slowly, Aqua moved her left hand over to her Keyblade's hilt, gripping it alongside the right, a practice she had been taught to steady her blade…

Unfortunately, both of her hands were shaking so fiercely the blade noticeably followed.

Unable to deny the familiar sensation of eyes watching her, the water maiden closed her own, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly once-

Before spinning around so suddenly she was a blur of blue, white and black, the black igniting into flashing orange and yellow-

Before the tip of Master Keeper exploded into a massive flare that exploded, consuming everything within a few feet of her in burning flames, igniting the darkness around her with a blinding explosion of light. A sudden wave of heat fell over her-

While a sudden ghost of ice-cold fell over the back of her neck in the softest of caresses.

Aqua's eyes dilated in all too familiar horror. Moving faster than she thought possible for herself, the Keyblade Master turned, swinging her blade up with all her might and considerable force as she did-

Her attack was stopped by a sudden powerful grip on her wrist, and her breath was stolen when fingers of freezing steel wrapped around her throat. Her cry of pain and horror never had a chance to leave her lips, only a single choked gasp sputtered out. Her free hand grabbed at the wrist of her attacker…

And while her vision was blurred by pain, she could see all too well who it was that held her so easily.

A tall man cloaked in all black, his face hidden under the hood of his cloak. But even in the darkness of the hood, she could see two sparks of orange, like two burning flames.

When her attacker twisted her wrist, she couldn't even scream in the sudden pain, her fingers forced to let go of her master's weapon. The Keyblade struck the ground with a soft 'clang' of metal. The water maiden dangled in the air by a good foot over the ground, both her hands now clutching the wrist of her assailant, choked gasps for breath the only sound between them. The cloaked figure continued to hold her so easily with one hand, unfazed by her own hands desperately gripping at his.

He merely cocked his head slightly as he lowered his other hand to his side, seeming to gaze curiously upon his choking captive.

And then…

"Did you think…I would let you slip away from me a second time?" His voice was deep, smooth…and flat. No emotion.

She couldn't respond, only choke and gasp for precious air and continue to clutch at his vice like grasp.

The hooded attacker raised his free hand, turning his hidden gaze away from her to study his hand, gloved fingers flexing. And he went on.

"Did you think…you could hide from me…here? Of all places? No…for you see my dear…"

Sparks of blue and black energy crackled between his fingers.

"Here…you are like a beacon…a flame, if you will…for those of the dark…are inevitably drawn to you."

He turned to gaze back up to her, his hand flexing open, more sparks erupting from his hand. And somehow, even in the darkness of this realm and from under his hood…

She could tell he was grinning.

"And there is no one darker than I."

She didn't even see his hand move.

But she felt his grip…

Not on her throat.

But inside her chest.

Her whole form went still in his grip, face paling, mouth falling open, eyes wider than she thought possible.

The horror and pain were beyond description, as the only thing she could focus on was how cold his fingers were around her pounding heart.

"Did I not tell you…" He began to ask, fingers squeezing inside her chest, prompting another silenced scream.

But she did scream as he suddenly ripped his hand from her chest.

Taking with him her heart.

There was no spray of blood or sound of flesh tearing…

But a soft hum and pulse of light.

His grip on her throat suddenly went lax and the water maiden found herself on her hands and knees, unable to breath. She clutched at her chest, desperately trying to breath…

But found she couldn't.

The hooded Unknown turned his hidden gaze from the fallen maiden…

Towards his prize now held in his hand.

Not an organ beating with blood pumping from torn arteries…

But a small orb of pure light, pulsing in time with Aqua's former heartbeats.

He looked down on her, his wide and emotionless grin visible for a split-second from the light of her heart in his hand.

"I would hold your heart in the palm of my hand?"

Aqua couldn't respond, the pain, the horror, all too overwhelming…

And then he suddenly clenched his fingers over the pulsing orb…

And tendrils of darkness began to inch over the collapsed water maiden.

Her eyes widened once more, but she could do nothing as they continued to creep over her legs and arms.

The Unknown continued to slowly close his fingers over her heart.

"Ten years you've escaped me…"

The darkness had stretched its icy grasp to her neck, slowly rising over her face, in perfect sync with his fingers as they continued to cover her heart.

"But now…we will have an eternity together…For you see my dear…Nothingness…"

His fingers closed over her heart.

Darkness stole her vision but not her hearing.

"Is eternal."

And she finally screamed.

* * *

Would you believe watching the Lion King inspired this?

My mind is very messed up right now.

This is not at all what I wanted to post today, but I've decided to wait till next year to post that.

Like or hate it.

Review it or don't.


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